Chapter 12
Luke
Amuffled thud is followed by scrambling inside Sierra’s room. I frown and knock again.
“Sierra? Are you okay?”
“Yeah!” she yells, and the scrambling only intensifies. When I press my ear to the door, I hear her mutter, “Shit, did I lock the door? I don’t remember.”
“Shall I come in?” I call out, my hand reaching for the door handle.
“No! Don’t come in!” she almost squeaks. “Just wait there. I’m fine. I was… resting.”
I don’t trust that for a second. I’m about to open the door anyway when it swings open and Sierra pokes her head out, staring up at me, face a little flushed, eyes wide.
She blinks a few times, then says in a tone trying way too hard to be casual, “Hi, Luke. I didn’t know you’d be stopping by. Did you need something?”
“Yeah. Your ass in a pool of ice next to me.”
She blinks, completely lost. I raise a brow, waiting for it to click. When it doesn’t, I sigh. “You said you’d do the cold plunge with us, remember?”
“I did?” She sounds genuinely surprised.
“Yeah. We talked about it all through breakfast.” Or rather, I had talked while she’d nodded along, mentally somewhere else entirely. I could’ve asked for her firstborn to sacrifice and she probably would’ve agreed.
So yeah, I took advantage and got her to agree to this. Dubious consent aside, I’m still cashing it in. Partly because I hate cold plunges and refuse to suffer alone, but also because it might actually help her clear her head.
There’s something about freezing your balls off that brings everything into sharp focus. Not that she has balls, of course. But I’m sure the principle works just as well for girls.
“Did you forget, or did I hallucinate the whole conversation?” I ask.
“No, I didn’t forget,” she lies, shutting her eyes and sighing. “You’re right. I did say I would. I just… don’t know if I’m up for it right now.”
“Oh no, don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet. Pun intended.”
“No, I just…”
“Well, if you’re not doing it, then I’m not doing it either.” I fold my arms. “Who cares about my five-month streak?”
“Five-month streak?”
“Yeah. Once a week, every week, for five months. Helps my mood, my anxiety, proves I can stick to something even when it sucks. But honestly, I wasn’t feeling it today. I was relying on you to drag me in. But if you’re busy—”
“No, I’m not busy,” she cuts in too quickly, too sharply. Total lie.
She bites her lip, and I can practically see the guilt settling in. She doesn’t want to be the reason I break the streak.
Resignation flickers across her face. “Just give me a second, alright? Let me get ready.”
“Sure. Bathing suit’s fine.”
She shuts the door, and I lean back, whistling as I think it through.
Because this weirdness didn’t start here. It started earlier. Maybe even before I saw her with Reid in the hallway.
It might’ve started when she grabbed a plate of food for Talon.
She’d looked flushed then too, which didn’t make sense—it wasn’t hot out. I figured Tal had said something awkward or done something off. That’s pretty standard for him.
The guy grew up on this mountain. Before Reid and I showed up, he probably saw other humans a couple dozen times a year, max. Even now, he keeps to himself. If you don’t know him, he can come off intimidating as hell.
But people don’t usually bring French toast to someone they’re scared of.
That’s what stuck with me. She wanted to take it to him. Wanted to stay and watch him work. I even offered to go instead, give her an out, but she insisted.
At the time, I figured she was just being nice. Grateful.
Now?
Now I’m thinking something happened between them.
Unexpected, sure. But so was walking in on Tal holding her while she cried, looking like he’d rip my head off if I got too close. I’ve never seen him like that, and Sierra doesn’t strike me as someone who cries in a stranger’s arms.
So yeah. Maybe there’s something there.
A spark.
A moment.
A line crossed.
A kiss. A touch. Or more.
Huh, this is strange—I’d expect jealousy to hit first, but it doesn’t. What I feel instead is curiosity.
Is that better? Or worse?
In any case, it’s how it is, and regardless of why, I am definitely curious about the two of them.
What are things between them like? Where did that bond come from?
And how did she earn Talon’s trust so quickly?
He doesn’t open up to people easily. He might have a softer spot for women, but as a rule, he doesn’t like anyone invading his space.
He didn’t want to let her go yesterday.
If he really does have feelings for her…
Tal’s always struck me as the type who falls once, but falls hard. It’s none of my business, of course, but I wonder if Sierra’s ready for something like that.
The door opens, and Sierra steps out, her swimsuit hidden beneath a long button-up shirt.
Damn.
The hem cuts high on her thigh, showing off long, pale legs that look soft enough to kiss, supple enough to bite.
She blushes under my gaze and starts walking, her flip-flops squeaking against the floor.
“Let’s go,” she says.
“Roger that,” I reply, falling into step behind her, letting the silence stretch a beat.
“So,” I say casually, “Talon’s a bit of an odd character, isn’t he?”
She shoots me a look. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true. Everyone says it. You met him this morning—I figured you got a taste of his winning personality.”
Her lips press together, cheeks pinking.
Interesting.
I wait. Her answer matters—how she sees Tal, and what that says about her.
I’ve learned people’s reactions to Tal tell you everything. Some dismiss him outright, turn their noses up at a guy who lives in the mountains and works with his hands. Those people are an instant no for me, no matter how attractive they are.
Others try, even if they’re a little uncomfortable. That’s what I expect from her.
“I mean, I know how Talon can be—”
“He’s fine,” she cuts in, sharp and certain. “There’s nothing wrong with him. Not everyone has to be a chatterbox.”
Ah. Defensive.
Well, that just made things a lot more interesting.
“Is that a dig at me?” I ask.
“No.” She looks genuinely surprised. “No, I didn’t mean— God, I’m messing everything up today, aren’t I? I just didn’t like how you were talking about him. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine,” I say easily. “I’m just messing with you and trying to figure out where your head’s at.”
She gives me a dry look. “Feels like you’re always doing that.”
“Guilty,” I admit, still turning over her reaction. “So you weren’t uncomfortable around him?”
“No, not at all. If anything, I think it’s more me that made him uncomfortable.” Her cheeks heat again, her gaze dropping.
Now I’m curious. “How so?”
“I was just… watching him fix the car. I think that made him uncomfortable. That’s why I left.”
“I see. Why were you watching him?”
“Because he couldn’t really explain what was wrong, so I figured I’d just watch and see for myself.”
I huff a quiet laugh. “He’s been fixing cars since he was a kid. If anyone knows what they’re doing, it’s him.”
“He’s a mechanic?”
“More like a handyman. He can fix anything. We call him whenever something breaks.”
“How much does he charge?”
“Well… nothing, of course.” She looks at me with surprise in her eyes. “He’s part-owner of this place along with Reid and me. I assumed you knew.”
Her eyes widen. “Seriously?”
“Yep. The three of us split it. Reid and I handle the front, Tal handles everything else. Like Batman.”
“Wow. I didn’t expect that.”
“That’s what makes him interesting. He’s got money, just doesn’t care about it. It sits there, untouched.”
“What do you mean?”
“He grew up here with his grandmother. This was his family’s land.
They went into town maybe once a month. He got used to living with the bare minimum.
No TV, no gadgets. His phone is something from the nineteen fifties.
Five shirts, five pairs of pants, rotates them, washes them, done. He doesn’t need anything more.”
“Does he have friends?”
“Reid and I like to think so,” I say with a smirk. “There are a few people in town he tolerates, but he’s not exactly throwing parties or buying rounds at the bar. No yachts, no Ferraris. He’s… simple. In a good way.”
“Wow,” she says again, and there’s real fascination in her voice.
The cold plunge is just as brutal as always.
But watching Sierra squeal, jump in, jump out, and curse me under her breath makes it worth it.
She’s a riot.
And when she finally settles in, leaning back against the ceramic, she sighs. “This is actually kind of nice.”
“Told you. It’s just those first couple minutes that suck.”
Afterward, I offer to show her around town. No real excuse—I just like being around her, and I want to get her talking.
We head toward the back parking area when I spot Tal walking toward his truck.
Perfect.
I grin. Time to test my theory.
“Hey, Tal! We’re heading into town. You coming with us?”